Before prescribing treatment for any disease, it is necessary to carry out the required examination. The choice of therapeutic therapy depends on the correct diagnosis. But taking medications or substances can negatively affect the test results. It is also worth considering that you should not drink alcohol before the tests, because strong drinks can do thissignificantly change the results. And to make sure of this, it is worth considering the characteristics of the influence of alcohol on the tests carried out.
The effect of alcohol on blood tests
When diagnosing various diseases, blood tests are often performed. It is used to determine the causes of the pathology, its form, the degree of complexity and many other indicators. To ensure accurate results, it is worth excluding conditions that could change them, including the consumption of drinks containing alcohol.
Take note! You must conduct thorough preparation before taking the tests. Advised1-2 days before diagnosisstop drinking alcoholic beverages and taking various medications.
How alcohol affects blood tests:
- It causes destruction of the membrane of red blood cells and reduces their mobility properties. When consumed, the quality of blood viscosity increases, the number of red blood cells decreases, and hemoglobin decreases;
- Glucose synthesis in the liver slows down. Drinking alcoholic beverages before tests can cause the diagnosisincorrect diagnosisin a healthy person, namely diabetes;
- Increases lactic acid. As a result, misdiagnoses may be made that could be related to the heart and blood vessels;
- Increases urea levels;
- Increase the indicatorcholesterol;
- Increases neutral fat content. As a result, the specialist may assume that the patient has problems with blood vessels, heart activity and liver;
- It causes changes in the content of micro and macro elements. This makes it difficult to determine which substances are needed;
- Leads tochanges in hormone levels.
Alcoholic drinks significantly distort blood test results. Incorrect readings can lead your doctor to make a diagnosisincorrect diagnosis. And this may be a consequence of choosing the wrong therapeutic therapy, which as a result can negatively affect your health.
Characteristics of the influence of alcoholic beverages on test results
You should not drink alcohol before taking the tests. Products containing alcohol cansignificantly change the results, but not only is it worth abandoning it before conducting diagnostics. Nicotine, failure to follow a healthy diet and various drugs cause distortion of indicators.
How does it affect the overall analysis?
When asked whether it is possible to consume alcohol before blood tests, experts will answer negatively. Under the influence of alcohol components, research data can be distorted:
- Red blood cells are destroyed;
- Cholesterol levels increase (sometimes up to 80%);
- Hemoglobin decreases.
The main danger of consuming alcohol-containing drinks before diagnosis is thathave a strong effecton indicators of erythrocyte concentration. It destroys them, but they are of great importance for health. They transport oxygen from the respiratory system to various organs and tissues and transport carbon dioxide to the respiratory organs.
When exposed to ethyl alcohol, destruction of the erythrocyte membrane is observed. Causeinterruption of their movements, they stop repelling each other and attack each other. As a result, the level of red blood cells decreases and this leads to the fact that hemoglobin decreases significantly. At the same time, the shape of microthrombi and microcirculation deteriorate.
Under the influence of alcoholic beverages, the structure of the blood becomes viscous. As a result, clots appear that cannot pass through the capillary and vascular walls. And this phenomenon could bedangerous for lifeperson. It interferes with a complete blood test.
Impact on the results of biochemical studies
It is particularly strikingalcohol in biochemical blood tests distorts the results obtained. This study is complete. By using it you will be able to discover which components are not sufficient for the body and which, on the contrary, are present in excessive quantities.
Under the influence of alcoholic beverages, changes are observed in the biochemical blood test:
- Decreased glucose levels;
- Decreased urea levels;
- Cells cannot absorb oxygen to their full capacity;
- Deterioration of a person's well-being.
Drinking alcoholic beverages can lead to a sharp decrease in glucose levels. This can be especially dangerous during diabetes.
When you drink alcohol, uric acid levels in your blood decrease, which can negatively affect your health. The doctor canmisdiagnose. Reduced urea levels may indicate the presence of serious circulatory problems. Urea is needed to remove nitrogen from the body, and if this element is elevated, this could indicate the presence of gout and chronic arthritis.
Alcohol often leads to an increase in triacylglycerols in the blood. These fats are characteristic of pathologies such as atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, cerebral vascular thrombosis and viral hepatitis.
Important! Many specialists try not to use alcohol-containing drugs during tests. However, it is believed that they are able to identify themselvesvarious infections. However, ethyl alcohol can significantly change the results, so much so that not even a professional can understand them.
Do not carry out tests after drinking alcohol, it is better to wait 2-3 days. If a patient undergoes a biochemical study while hungover, you may experience the following conditions:
- fainting;
- The occurrence of prolonged headaches;
- Signs of nausea;
- Vomit.
Usually, when performing a biochemical blood test, a small amount of blood is taken. A sober person will not notice any significant changes. However, alcohol molecules disrupt metabolic processes andnegatively influenceon cerebral circulation.
If you are faced with the problem of alcoholism, the modern clinic offers alcoholism treatment services using effective methods.
Impact on blood test results for sugar
Blood tests for sugar readings are generally prescribed for patients suffering from metabolic disorders. During the study, a finger prick is performed. If before the analysis alcoholic beverages were consumed, the composition of the blood becomes dense, this creates some difficulties during collection and also increasesrisk of blood clots.
Ethyl alcohol has a harmful effect on the liver. It also negatively affects reagents and the functioning of laboratory instruments. For this reason, two different results can occur: increase or decrease in blood glucose levels.
1 gram of ethyl alcohol causes an increase in kilocalories of up to almost 7 units. The fact is that the molecules in alcoholic beverages instantly interfere with metabolic processes. And under the influence of liver enzymes, glucose is formed. What happens in the endincreased sugar levelsin the blood.
Drinks containing alcohol can temporarily lower blood glucose levels. It is maintained within normal limits for 2. 5 hours a day; this is provided by carbohydrates entering the digestive organs. During the rest of the period, the liver produces glucose and uses the body's reserves. However, alcohol canstop this process, which can lead to a drop in glucose.
The effect of alcohol on urinalysis
You should not drink alcohol before taking a urine test, because the drink can change the test results. If alcoholic beverages have already been drunk, you should not carry out diagnostics the next day, it is better to wait 2-5 days so that ethyl alcoholcompletely withdrawnfrom the body.
Under the influence of alcohol the following changes in analyzes can be observed:
- There is an increase in urea levels;
- Increased lactic acid;
- Increased glucose levels;
- If alcoholic beverages contain coloring components, preservatives or taste-enhancing elements, traces of these substances will be detected in the urine for at least 2-3 days.
To speed up the elimination of alcohol, it is not recommended to drink drugs with a diuretic effect. They willoverload the kidneys. Along with harmful components, beneficial substances and a large amount of potassium will be excreted.
When can you drink alcoholic beverages?
Alcohol can significantly change the data of any tests: blood, urine and even spermogram. Therefore itNot recommendeddrink before the exam. It is especially important to stop drinking alcohol before taking a test during important operations.
If the disease is not very serious, small amounts of alcohol are allowed. But the doctor must inform every patient about itindividually.
Before 2-3 days after diagnosis it is necessary to stop consuming alcohol-containing drinks. During this period, the body experiences an attenuation of processes that can greatly affect the state of the body.
We do not recommend drinking alcohol before testing; in any case ethyl alcohol will have a negative effect on the results. And this could eventually lead toto an incorrect diagnosis. It is better not to take alcohol-containing drinks and medications a few days before diagnosis. The only situation in which alcohol does not change the indicators is the alcohol intoxication test, indicated for drivers and some workers.